Tru Thoughts Vinyl & CDs

Review: World music magpie Bonobo offers us a deep dive into his secret collection of remixes and B-sides here across four sides of vinyl here, all collected together for the Tru Thoughts label. It is a great compilation that shows off some different looks from the well-regarded and accomplished producer and live act himself, as well as other artists' reworks of his source material. He tackles tunes by Pilote and Jon Kennedy, Jon Kennedy and Quantic remix him, and there are also two top Quantic originals included for good measure to close.

Review: London beatsmith and "city rivims" producer Footshooter is one of a small cadre of inner city artists whose work makes a point of fusing UK jazz, West Coast-ish hip-hop and UK dance production, all tied together by an experimental bow. His latest LP, The Oasis, unveils itself as an upended jazz and broken beat finesser, all while nailing a collaborative form, with studio-mates James Mollison (Ezra Collective), Natty Wylah and Brother Portrait all in tow. Where lead track 'Cycles' evolved from a simple loop, growing in depth and space, Mollison's saxophone brought appended magic; meanwhile, tracks like 'Boomerang' and 'Surrey Canal Road' underscore a mood of hyperlocal, industrial South London poignancy.

Review: New Orleans brass band fixture The Hot 8 Brass Band unveil their latest record, in memory of Bennie Pete aka. "Big Tuba", the late co-founder and sousaphone player of the band. Having passed away on September 6, 2021, Pete was described as a "constant galvanising force", and this galvanic power is heard on full display here, as the top brass of the band are heard to collierly collude with many a New Orleands folk and hip-hop legend. Chief among the Hot 8's best characteristics are their incorporation of New Orleans bounce music (a local variation of hip-hop) into their brass-driven tracks and live shows; the sense of bustle, bombast and crowd commotion is heard here, reflecting the extent of the lives touched by Pete.

Review: "I was diagnosed with ADHD at 15 when I was expelled from school. I often feel like every day is an emotional rollercoaster. This album is a representation of that. It's a journey of high-energy, intense songs and deep, slow, mournful ballads", says Tara Lily, the British-Bengali South Londoner whose been turning heads with her captivating blend of jazz, electronica, trip hop, experimental r&b and Indian-subcontinental musical hues and cues. Produced by Dom Valentino, Speak In The Dark is immediately engrossing, like walking into a room to find an open fire blazing and falling into its spell the moment you take a seat. It's beautiful, and in some moments staggeringly so. It's packed with groove and mood and atmosphere that's somewhere between edge and sophistication, at times closing in on the carnival dnb-pop that Tru Thoughts has always done so well. Simply put, this is the best thing you'll hear for some time.